Could you open your door to a child?
Fostering means giving a child a safe, warm home while their own family cannot. Here is what it really involves, in plain English, so you can decide if it is right for you.
No sign-up. No obligation. Just honest information.
There is no typical foster carer
Children need all kinds of homes. Here is who fosters.
- Single or in a coupleYou can foster on your own or with a partner, married or not.
- Any background or faithFoster carers come from every ethnicity, culture and religion.
- LGBTQ+ or straightWho you love does not decide whether you can foster.
- Working or notSome carers keep another job. Others foster full time.
- With or without childrenYoung children, grown-up children, or none at all.
- You already have skillsEveryone brings something from their own life. Assessment helps you see it.
The road to fostering
From first question to first child. How becoming a foster carer usually works.
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Learn and ask
Read the free handbooks and write down your questions. There is no wrong question.
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Talk to a fostering service
An informal chat that commits you to nothing. You can talk to more than one service.
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Assessment and training
A social worker gets to know you and your household over several months. You also take preparation training.
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Fostering panel
You meet an independent panel, who make a recommendation about your approval.
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Matched with a child
When a child needs a home, the service looks for the right match, with support from day one.
The free handbook shelf
22 short handbooks, the same ones used to prepare new foster carers. Pick one off the shelf, or search them all.
Stage 1: The basics
Stage 2: Keeping children safe and well
Stage 3: Going further
Point at or tab to a book to see what it is about. Select it to open.
What children need: a secure base
Many children in care have had a hard start. The Secure Base Model, from the University of East Anglia, describes five things that help a child feel safe enough to grow. Understanding and Caring for Children explains it in more depth.
- AvailabilityHelping a child trust that someone is there
- SensitivityHelping a child manage feelings
- AcceptanceBuilding a child’s self-esteem
- Co-operationHelping a child feel effective
- Family membershipHelping a child belong
Questions to ask any fostering service
Good support makes a big difference. Whoever you talk to, these help you compare.
- Who will my social worker be, and how often will they visit?
- Who can I call at night, at weekends and on bank holidays?
- What training is there before approval, and after?
- Is there a mentor, a support group, or other carers I can talk to?
- What allowances and breaks are there, and how do they work?
- How do you decide which child comes to live with us?
Want to talk it through?
Rachael is happy to answer your questions, however early you are in thinking about it. No pressure and no obligation.